Falls Church Veteran Helped By Critical Home Repairs From Volunteers

PIMMIT HILLS, VA — Korean War veteran John Rinehart and his wife of 42 years, Delia Rinehart, have lived in their Pimmit Hills home for 36 years. But getting around has been harder for John after an accident following his Army service caused issues with his hips and legs, forcing him to get around with a wheelchair and walker.

But because money is tight for the couple, their home wasn't updated to help John easily get around.

That changed when nonprofit Rebuilding Together Arlington/Fairfax/Falls Church teamed up with the corporation Lockheed Martin to provide needed interior and exterior home repairs for the Rineharts.

"Our Rebuilding Together Arlington/Fairfax/Falls Church makes critical home repairs at no cost to homeowners on limited income," said Patti Klein, director of Rebuilding Together Arlington/Fairfax/Falls Church.

Klein told Patch one of the first things she noticed about the Rineharts' home was the porch, which was uneven. That made it unsafe for John to use when he wanted to move from the living room to the front porch.

The volunteers not only fixed up the porch, but also added a wheelchair ramp, which will help Delia wheel John outside and allow first responders to more easily help him.

Volunteers also installed grab bars and railings to help John get around more easily, as well as a comfort height toilet that is easier for people with knee problems to use.

Rebuilding Together Arlington/Fairfax/Falls Church is one of 120 local affiliates in a national network to help people in need repair their homes. Klein said many of the people the nonprofit serves are seniors, people with 50 percent of the area median income. Over half of the people served are identified as having a disability.

Rebuilding Together led the project with support from Lockheed Martin volunteers. The corporation is supporting home repairs for veterans in eight communities around the U.S. for Rebuilding Together’s Veterans at Home initiative. The Northern program provides no-cost preventive home modifications and repairs to veterans and their families to help with accessibility and aging in place.

Concerns about aging in place have been shared by residents in the costly Northern Virginia region.

Klein said one of the issues shared during Fairfax County's SHAPE the Future of Aging initiative was a greater difficulty for residents to age in their homes. A SHAPE Plan will be developed in late 2022 to early 2023 with Board of Supervisors approval expected in May 2023.

While Rebuilding Together receives funding from Fairfax County, Klein says it is not sufficient to meet the community need, and many people have to be turned down for essential home repairs. Klein hopes to receive more local funding and grants from corporations, as Lockheed Martin has done for veteran families like the Rineharts.

For more information about the Rebuilding Together local affiliate, visit rebuildingtogether-aff.org.